The present invention relates to beds generally and to bed frame structures specifically of the knockdown type.
It has heretofore been generally known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,537,114 and 3,683,429 to provide a bedframe assembly of the knockdown type in which a cross frame member is detachably secured to side frame members. In these patents, interfitting male and female members are utilized, one of the members being secured to the side frame member and the other being mounted on an associated end of the cross frame in a manner to extend transversely across and spaced from the end terminus of the connected cross frame. The design configuration of the male and female members, as disclosed in these patents, is rather complex and expensive to produce, and have an orientation such that in their assembled relation the parts do not provide as great rigidity as might be desired. For example, the rigidity of the connection between the side frame member and cross frame member is not sufficiently rigid to permit the mounting of frame supporting leg assemblies on the cross frame at a sufficiently inwardly spaced position from the side frame to avoid injurious striking of a person's bare feet or stubbing one's toes thereon. As a consequence, these patents disclose the supporting leg assemblies as being secured to the connection means and thus have the disadvantage of extending immediately below the side frame members in a position where they constitute a dangerous hazard.
The present invention obviates the above noted problems and inherent disadvantages of the patented arrangements by providing a simplified and extremely rigid structural concept for releasably interconnecting the side rail and a crossbar end, in which a bracket on the side rail is so formed as to provide a box-like structure having an elongate socket extending inwardly at a right angle to the side rail, the socket being designed to laterally receive an end portion of the crossbar into a seated position which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the socket. In the seated position of the crossbar end, coacting parts respectively on opposite sides of the bracket and crossbar have interlocking engagement and function to retain the crossbar against endwise withdrawal from the socket. An extremely high order of rigidity is thus obtained, so that it now becomes possible to provide a frame supporting leg assembly which may be secured directly to the crossbar end portion independently of the interconnecting means at the desired inwardly spaced position with respect to the side rail and thus minimize the possibility of injury.
Further, it has been generally known to provide box spring locating and retaining clips on the side rails of bed frames. As shown in the previously noted patents, these clips may be permanently secured as by riveting at desired locations along the side rails, or as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,887, these locating clips may be attached to the side rail in a manner permitting their selectively adjustable movement along the rail and location at any desired position.
While the known retaining clips as shown in the above patents operate more or less satisfactorily in most cases, it will be appreciated that because of variations in the manufactured widths of box springs, the clips of the above discussed character may not always firmly engage the sides of the box spring.
The above noted drawbacks are avoided by the adjustable clip structure of the present invention, which enables the clip to be adjustably extended and retracted and latched in adjusted operating position in which it firmly grips the edge of the box spring structure.
It has also been known generally, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,646,623 and 3,781,930, to provide a bed frame structure in which the side rails are interconnected by one or more longitudinally adjustable crossbars by means of which the bed frame may be selectively varied as to width in order to provide a plurality of standard bed widths, for example, a twin, double or queen size bed without the use of tools.
The present invention embodies a unique highly effective but simplified arrangement in which the crossbar is composed of telescoped sections which are interconnected for telescoping limited extendable and retractable longitudinal movements. At their adjacent overlapped ends, the outermost of the telescoped sections is provided at its end terminus with a pivoted locking clip which is manually swingable between a released position and a locking position wherein it lays flat against a side face of the section. The innermost of the telescoped sections carries a plurality of transversely extending slots which are spaced longitudinally along the section at distances corresponding to the respective bed widths, each of these slots at a selected bed width being adapted to receive a tongue projection of the locking clip, when the clip is in its locking position. The tongue projection, while positioned in a slot, effectively anchors the telescoped sections against longitudinal movements, but upon swinging movement of the locking clip to its released position will readily enable the crossbar to be adjusted to another bed width and locked.